McNae's Essential Law for Journalists

by Tom Welsh, Walter Greenwood, David Banks

An up-to-date text on media law for both practicing journalists and students, McNae's explains in a clear, engaging style the effects of the law and the Press Complaints Commission Code of Conduct on newsgathering and publication. Updated to include the effects of the Serious Organised Crime
and Police Act 2005, the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Courts Act 2003, and a brand new chapter on law for photographers, the 18th edition of McNae's is the definitive guide to developments in the law as they affect journalists.

Genres: Nonfiction, Journalism, Reference

544 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1988

Reviews

[Graham]

A weighty, but essential tome for journalists and other media professionals. This massive paperback is broken down into many sections clarifying such areas as types of crime, detailed breakdowns of defamation and libel and what they mean and plenty more besides. Plenty of examples from real-life cases are referred to in order to enhance meaning and the book as a whole is invaluable.

A word of warning: given the subject matter, it's a very dry read for the layman, making for very heavy reading material. I find I can only read a few pages or a chapter at a time before putting it aside and digesting what I've just read. So not a book to read from cover to cover at one sitting, but instead a reference book you can dip in and out of as needed.